BERLIN — Germany, France, and Italy on Monday became the latest countries to suspend the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine over reports of dangerous blood clots in some recipients. However, the company and European regulators have said there is no evidence the shot is to blame. Germany’s health minister said the decision was taken on the advice of the country’s vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation into seven reported cases of clots in the brains of people who had been vaccinated.
“Today’s decision is a purely precautionary measure,” Jens Spahn said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said his country would likewise suspend shots at least until Tuesday afternoon when the European Union’s drug regulatory agency will weigh in on the vaccine. He told France hopes to resume using the formula soon.
Italy’s medicines regulator also announced a precautionary, temporary ban.
AstraZeneca said on its website that there had been 37 reports of blood clots out of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the 27-country European Union and Britain. The drugmaker said there is no evidence the vaccine carries an increased risk of clots. It said the incidence of clots is much lower than expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar to that of other licensed COVID-19 vaccines.
The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization have also said that the data does not suggest the vaccine caused the clots and that people should be immunized.
The AstraZeneca shot has become a vital tool in European countries’ efforts to vaccinate their citizens against COVID-19. But Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines are also used on the continent, and Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine has been authorized but not yet delivered. In the U.S., which relies on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, AstraZeneca is expected to apply any day now for authorization.
Blood clots can travel through the body and cause heart attacks, strokes, and deadly blockages in the lungs. AstraZeneca reported 15 cases of deep vein thrombosis, or a type of clot that often develops in the legs, and 22 instances of pulmonary embolisms or lumps in the lungs.
Last week, Denmark became the first country to halt the AstraZeneca vaccine in recent days to investigate temporarily. It said one person developed clots and died ten days after receiving at least one dose. The other countries include Ireland, Thailand, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, Congo, and Bulgaria.